The best F1 drivers of the last decade

Last season’s F1 Championship was one of the most thrilling in history. The drama, the style, the speed, it all made for a truly thrilling final few months, and in around two months’ time, we’ll be doing it all over again.

Following 2014 Lewis Hamilton has catapulted himself into one of the best drivers of the last decade, and will be looking to make it a hat-trick of Championships following his win in 2008. But where does he rank amongst the best of the last few years?

As we approach the new season, to whet the appetite we take a look at the best drivers of the last 10 years…

Jenson Button

The British driver finished 8th in the 2014 Championship and has consistently been in the top 10 since finishing number one in 2009 with McLaren.

He almost followed that up two years later with second place on the podium and has finished in the top five four times in the last six years. 2015 will be a tough year for the 34-year-old with him not having won a race since the last day of the season in 2012. He’s got a good record in Melbourne though and will want to kick off with a bang in March in the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton

Although he’ll have stiff competition from last year’s winner and is favourite for the Championship with Bwin once again.

The driver who has everything – including a Pussycat Doll girlfriend – is once again going to go toe-to-toe with teammate Nico Rosberg for the Championship, and will match Jackie Wilson’s three should he succeed in 2015.

He’s more victories than any other British racer and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year just a few months ago. Another title to his name and he will be borderline legendary in British motorsport.

Sebastian Vettel

Often compared to Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel has well and truly lived up to the hype winning four straight championships between 2010 and 2013 and is only behind Schumacher and the late great Ayrton Senna when it comes to the number of pole positions taken.

At just 27-years-old he could well eclipse his fellow countryman, and it’ll perhaps be the iconic red Ferrari he’ll do it in. Signing with manufacturer ahead of the new season, Vettel could pick up his fifth Championship in six years, which would be a real tribute to the man he describes as his greates idol.

Robert Kubica

Robert Kubica made quite the impact in his short career in Formula One, winning the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix before tragically having to retire in 2011 after being seriously injured, severing his right forearm, making him unable to return to his Renault car.

But perhaps the remarkable thing about the Polish driver, is that he returned to motorsport in 2012, but in a rally car and won the World Rally-2 Championships just a year later. Today he’s still racing as part of the M-Sport World Rally Team.

Fernando Alonso

It’s been a few years now since the 33-year-old Spaniard won the Championship, but still comfortably makes it into not only one of the best of the last 10 years but one of the best of all time. In his Ferrari he was almost unbeatable between 2005 and 2006, winning 14 races over the two seasons.